


Through the Storm

by soongtypeprincess



Series: RanSid Gay Dads AU [3]
Category: Outcast (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Parents, Family, Family Feels, Gay Dads AU, Gay Parents, M/M, Thunderstorms, praying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 07:57:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12979581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soongtypeprincess/pseuds/soongtypeprincess
Summary: Sidney is on his way home from the airport and ends up driving through a horrible thunderstorm. John is at home with the kids, who are both worried.





	Through the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Megan is five, Kyle is 8

John retrieved the two flashlights from the hallway closet as he gave Kyle instructions. “Do me a favor and go into the kitchen. In the right cabinet by the sink there are a couple of candles in small jars. Grab those and the big box of matches.”

“Yes, sir,” Kyle replied as he rushed to complete his task.

A storm was whirling outside and the weatherman on the radio had said that a tornado could be a huge possibility and could cut through Rome at any time that night. Kyle had been worried all evening. He had just moved into his new foster home almost a month ago and now he feared that a tornado could render all of them homeless.

He bit his lip as he searched for the matches. He had to be calm so that John would remain calm because he knew that his foster father had been thinking about his husband traveling back home tonight. He had been on the phone with Sidney after they arrived home from the Piggly Wiggly, and he had frantically tried to convince him to get a hotel for the night and wait until morning, but the powerful winds made his calls drop. John would quietly curse to himself until he pulled together to get the house ready for when the lights went out.

Kyle brought back the supplies. “Here you go, John,” he said as he set them on the coffee table. His foster parents told him that he didn't have to call them “dad” and “pop” unless he wanted to, and even though he really wanted to, he had to avoid it. He wasn’t sure how long he would be with them, anyway.

John made a pallet of blankets on the floor in the upstairs hallway. All the bedroom doors were shut and they would only retreat to the bathroom if the storm caused the winds to stir even more than they did now.

He placed each candle jar and the matches next to them on the floor, but dropped the flashlights when he realized he couldn’t hear his daughter.

“Where’s Megan?” he said, opening up her bedroom door.

Kyle’s heart pounded. “I-I don’t know. I thought she was up here.”

“Oh, Christ!” John shouted. “Megan!”

John's shout made Kyle flinch a bit and his ears burned at the notion that John might be cross with him because he didn’t know where Megan was, but he was relieved when John knelt down to him and put his hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Kyle. I'm sorry I shouted,” he assured him. "You okay?" When Kyle nodded, he said, "You stay up here while I look outside. I think I know where she is.”

John raced down the stairs and headed to the kitchen. Kyle heard the patio door open and knew that Megan was definitely trying to get to the shed where her turtle was.

“Megan!” John shouted. “Get in the house!”

The wind whistled and Kyle brought his knees to his chest.

“I gotta get my turtle!” Megan screamed. The box turtle she found in the creek where they played was better off in the shed, but Megan loved that animal so much that she couldn’t bear to leave it all by itself.

“Megan Anderson! Get in this house right now, girl!”

“But, Papa…” Her voice was cut off by the flash of a lightning bolt and Megan screeched.

Eventually, the patio door was shut and locked and John hurried upstairs with his daughter clinging to his neck and shaking. Kyle immediately stood up and got a towel out of the bathroom, and he wrapped it tightly around his foster sister whose red hair was clinging to her cold cheeks.

“Thank you,” she whimpered as she cuddled closer to her father.

John rubbed her back. “There, baby,” he whispered. “Your turtle will be fine, okay?”

Megan nodded and wiped her face, but she squealed again when another bolt of lightning flashed and the house went dark.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” John continued to soothe her as Kyle turned on a flashlight. “I gotta light these, bug.” She slid off his lap and watched him light the candles. He handed one to Kyle and set the other at the top of the stairs close to them.

John sighed and stretched out his legs as he leaned against the wall. Kyle did likewise and covered himself with a blanket. He didn't realize how much he was shaking, too. John noticed and extended his arm, "Come over here, son," he said, "it's all right."

Kyle crawled over to him and he felt a long arm curl around him. He rested his cheek on John's t-shirt and immediately began to calm down. “John?" he asked.

“Yeah, Kyle?”

“Do you think Sidney will really try to come home tonight?” Kyle was worried. He had taken a shine to Sidney, his worldliness, his knowledge, and his all-around good nature. He wished that Sidney stayed home more often, though. He was traveling a lot now in order to build up more clientèle for his start-up IT business. It would also be helpful to John if he were here, especially in a situation like tonight.

John shook his head. “I really don’t know,” he muttered. “My husband is a stubborn man. I couldn’t get much out of him on the phone cuz the call kept dyin’.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Papa,” Megan said as she crawled back in his lap. “Daddy isn't scared. He’ll make it home. I know he will.”

John grinned. “That’s my girl. Always keepin’ the faith.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “But…that doesn’t mean that I’m not scared.”

Kyle nodded in agreement. “Yeah…I am too, sis.”

Megan giggled and Kyle looked down at his hands to try to hide his smile.

John gave them both an amused look. He felt a joy swell in his chest at the notion that the boy was finally settling in and feeling better in a new place. He cleared his throat and put on his glasses again. “Would it help you kids if we said a little prayer?”

“Yes, please,” Megan said as she placed her palms together and closed her eyes. “Okay, go.” Megan loved it when John prayed.

John bowed his head. “Almighty God,” he said in a crisp, fervent tone, “We pray tonight that you be Sidney’s companion, guide, and protector as he travels home to us. Keep him from all danger, and by Your Divine Power, grant him a peaceful journey and safe arrival.”

Kyle noticed the slight crack in John’s voice and he snuggled closer into his chest as he continued, “Lord Jesus, You traveled with the two disciples after the resurrection and set their hearts on fire with Your grace. Travel also with Sidney and gladden his heart with—“

A burst of thunder suddenly shook the house and Megan squeaked in surprised, but John resumed, “...your presence, and during his journey surround him with Your holy angels and keep him safe from seen and unseen dangers. In You, we place our hope and trust in You. We praise, honor and glorify, together with Your Father and Holy Spirit now and forever and ever…Amen.”

“Amen,” Megan repeated loudly, as if to make sure the Almighty Himself would hear her, too. She threw aside her wet towel and John pulled a blanket over them. “That was a good one, Papa.”

“Yeah, you like that one?” he smiled at her as he put his arm around her. “Was that my best one?”

“Hmmm…” Megan scratched her chin. “No. I think your best one was the cockroach one.”

Kyle burst into laughter. “The cockroach one? Um…do I wanna know?”

“Well, last year,” John said. “Megan caught Sidney killing a cockroach with a newspaper and she had a fit."

"Wait," Kyle said, "I thought he was a vegan and vegans don't kill anything."

"Yeah, well, Sidney hates cockroaches," John laughed, "Anyway, Megan fell to the floor and started cryin’ and the only thing that would calm her was to give it a Christian burial.” The kids began cackling as John once again set a serious expression and recited, “Lord, we lay to rest this squished abomination of Satan and we pray that You grant him as little access as possible to Your Kingdom. For dirt he is from, and dirt will he be forever and ever…from now on. Amen.”

The children were now laughing so hard that Kyle was doubled over on the floor and Megan was turning red. After they had quieted down, Kyle realized he couldn’t keep his eyes open, and Megan trying to hide her yawns in her papa’s arm wasn’t helping him.

“Sleepy already?” John asked. “Well, this has been an eventful day.”

“Night, Papa,” Megan murmured as she curled up next to him and rested her head on his leg.

“Good night, little bug,” he said.

Kyle pressed his back against the wall and brought his portion of the blanket to his chin, “Night, Pop.”

John beamed at the boy and his eyes started to burn with tears. “Good night, son.”

Soon, they were both fast asleep, all of them wrapped in the blanket as John kept watch.

Hours later, Kyle awoke to stillness in the house. The wind had ceased its strong gusts and the rain was now pattering softly on the roof. He lifted himself from the floor and tiptoed down the stairs with a flashlight. John and Megan were still resting peacefully in their places when he suddenly heard a scuffle downstairs.

His heart pounded in fear as he saw a tall shadow stretch in the light of the kitchen, but Kyle gripped his flashlight like a weapon and slowly crept around the corner. His heart leaped at what he saw.

“Dad!” he exclaimed as Sidney placed his hat on the breakfast table.

Sidney nearly fell backwards as Kyle ran into him and wrapped his small arms around his waist. He laughed. “Well, evenin’, kiddo. Where is everybody?”

“You’re home,” Kyle’s voice muffled against Sidney’s dress shirt. He looked up at him with wet eyes, “It worked.”

Sidney knelt down and cupped the boy’s cheeks in his broad hands. “What worked, son? Why are you crying?” He playfully grinned at him. “You weren’t worried about this here old man, were you?”

Before Kyle could answer, Megan’s shrill voice echoed in the kitchen. “Daddy!!” She ran up to him and he picked her up with one arm and kissed her cheek.

“Hey, darlin’!” Sidney said. “You weren’t worried, too, were ya?”

“I was,” she told him, hugging his neck. “But then Papa prayed and now you’re home!”

“Oh, goodness,” Sidney smiled as he put her down. “Your papa prays about his golf swing more than about me.”

As soon as he said that, John appeared in the kitchen, his eyes wide at the sight. He couldn’t speak, like he was only in a dream, until Sidney gave him a smile and said, “Hey, honey.”

John rushed at him. “Don’t you ‘hey honey’ me, you stubborn son-of-a-bitch.” He grabbed Sidney by the lapels of his black blazer and kissed his lips. Sidney embraced him and grinned in amusement as he heard his husband’s “hallelujahs” and “thank you Jesus” between every kiss on his cheeks.


End file.
